History Headscratchers / MalazanBookoftheFallen

*Because Leoman is really, ''really'' good with flails. The same way that Trull Sengar being really, ''really'' good with a spear let him fight a raging Icarium to a standstill and even start to gain the advantage, right up until his spear broke. You gotta remember, the series evolved from Erikson and Esslemont's GURPS campaign; in that system, if you have enough ranks in Stabbity Death you can use Stabbity Death to put the hurting on anything up to and including Eldritch Abominations despite your character being completely mundane, barring GM adjudication otherwise. It seems that the Malazan universe carries on in that vein and finest weapon masters can hit above their metaphysical weight class, letting them land injuries on Ascendants because they're just that damn good.

* The Malazans once had two very important factors which are gone at the start of the books: first was the elite mage corps, and the second was the Talon. Stealth assassins with a private pocket dimension and the best mages available to the human race made enemy mages effectively obsolete. The first book proceeds to kill most of the remaining High Mages, and by halfway through Tayschren has quit, for his own reasons. The Talon, and two of the most powerful mages, had left already. The Claw was stretched thin by this loss and then mismanaged into oblivion.

** The Elder Gods don't fight each other much because such actions tend to be cataclysmic. Can there be such a thing as a subdued asskicking? For example, the mere existence of Tiam on Wu was implied to be the end of the world. Anomander can't so much as put his sword down without threatening to kill the Gaia-analogue. Erikson also studiously does not conserve ninjutsu, meaning Ruin or Rake going to fight virtually anyone would be rapid and without contest. Rake's one real sword duel in the entire series is with a demigod. Karsa spends a lot of time beating up on mooks and monsters; nobody else is really given that chance.

Granted, with LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters, not everyone's going to get a YouShallNotPass or [[TheLastDance Last Dance]]. But really, I haven't read a death that felt as tacked-on as [[spoiler: Trull Sengar's]] since [[spoiler:Lupin and Tonks]] in ''[[HarryPotter/HarryPotterAndTheDeathlyHallows Deathly Hallows.]]'' Even [[spoiler:Dujek Onearm]] got a better death... and he died off screen in his sick bed.

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Granted, with LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters, not everyone's going to get a YouShallNotPass or [[TheLastDance Last Dance]]. But really, I haven't read a death that felt as tacked-on as [[spoiler: Trull Sengar's]] since [[spoiler:Lupin and Tonks]] in ''[[HarryPotter/HarryPotterAndTheDeathlyHallows ''[[Literature/HarryPotterAndTheDeathlyHallows Deathly Hallows.]]'' Even [[spoiler:Dujek Onearm]] got a better death... and he died off screen in his sick bed.

I may have missed or forgotten something but I feel confusion about Quick Ben's and Shadowthrone's relation. In Gardens of the Moon its stated that Quick Ben was once a high rank member in the cult of shadow (maybe even High Priest, I am not sure at the moment). But his backstory revealed in later books shows that he joined Bridgeburners and met [[spoiler: Kellenaved]] before he Ascended. Shadow cult as such existed before ascension of Shadowthrone but dialogue in The Gardens of the Moon seem to idicate that Quick Ben was still part of it when Shadowthrone came into power. Am I missing something or is this an actual plothole?

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I may have missed or forgotten something but I feel confusion about Quick Ben's and Shadowthrone's relation. In Gardens of the Moon its stated that Quick Ben was once a high rank member in the cult of shadow (maybe even High Priest, I am not sure at the moment). But his backstory revealed in later books shows that he joined Bridgeburners and met [[spoiler: Kellenaved]] before he Ascended. Shadow cult as such existed before ascension of Shadowthrone but dialogue in The Gardens of the Moon seem to idicate that Quick Ben was still part of it when Shadowthrone came into power. Am I missing something or is this an actual plothole?plothole?

* Quick Ben left the cult of Shadow when [[spoiler: Kellanved]] ascended. The latter was pissed because he lost the potentially most powerful priest he would have had.

I may have missed or forgotten something but I feel confusion about Quick Ben's and Shadowthrone's relation. In Gardens of the Moon its stated that Quick Ben was once a high rank member in the cult of shadow (maybe even High Priest, I am not sure at the moment). But his backstory revealed in later books shows that he joined Bridgeburners and men [[spoiler: Kellenaved]] before he Ascended. Shadow cult as such existed before ascension of Shadowthrone but dialogue in The Gardens of the Moon seem to idicate that Quick Ben was still part of it when Shadowthrone came into power. Am I missing something or is this an actual plothole?

to:

I may have missed or forgotten something but I feel confusion about Quick Ben's and Shadowthrone's relation. In Gardens of the Moon its stated that Quick Ben was once a high rank member in the cult of shadow (maybe even High Priest, I am not sure at the moment). But his backstory revealed in later books shows that he joined Bridgeburners and men met [[spoiler: Kellenaved]] before he Ascended. Shadow cult as such existed before ascension of Shadowthrone but dialogue in The Gardens of the Moon seem to idicate that Quick Ben was still part of it when Shadowthrone came into power. Am I missing something or is this an actual plothole?

I may have missed or forgotten something but I feel confusion about Quick Ben's and Shadowthrone's relation. In Gardens of the Moon its stated that Quick Ben was once a high rank member in the cult of shadow (maybe even High Priest, I am not sure at the moment). But his backstory revealed in later books shows that he joined Bridgeburners and men [[spoiler: Kellenaved]] before he Ascended. Shadow cult as such existed before ascension of Shadowthrone but dialogue in The Gardens of the Moon seem to idicate that Quick Ben was still part of it when Shadowthrone came into power. Am I missing something or is this an actual plothole?

'''MASSIVE SPOILER FOR ''THE CRIPPLED GOD'' BELOW'''...............Maybe the reason was lost within the mass of text, or it was in one of the side stories... but why did Cotillion kill The Crippled God? Why didn't they just let him go home?

For that matter, it wasn't clear to me what Karsa Orlong did that killed Fener...

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'''MASSIVE SPOILER FOR ''THE CRIPPLED GOD'' BELOW'''...............Maybe the reason was lost within the mass of text, or it was in one of the side stories... but why did Cotillion kill The [[spoiler:The Crippled God? God]]? Why didn't they just let him go home?

For that matter, it wasn't clear to me what Karsa Orlong did that killed Fener...[[spoiler:Fener]]...

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